Here we are at the end of our 2017 - 2018 season with some great finds indeed. The PAS (Portable Antiquities Scheme) database has been updated as per our procedures and more records will be added over the coming weeks after cleansing and meticulous photography.

Although we had a fantastic season with two Iron Age coins being recovered, along with several Roman bronze coins, denarii, Medieval coinage and various fibulae, we were down on last seasons' results as follows:

Roman bronze coins  < 27%
Denarii                       < 14%
Iron Age coins            < 50%
Fibulae                       < 22%
Medieval coins           < 34%

The above figures include incredible sites that we have discovered over the years and reflect that the overall outcome, surveying these same sites, will inevitably result in those figures reducing even further, until eventually they will reach <99% .

Fortunately, full-blown archaeological excavations on our sites may reveal far more evidence on top of what we've already achieved. 
One such excavation is taking place later this year and we can't wait to see what is revealed. I'm sure that The British Museum are looking forward to the results just as we are. 

​Roll on the 2018 - 2019 season!

We took the chance to meet up with a fellow detectorist whilst she was up'th north visiting relatives.
We were hoping to meet up on a rally down south in September but we're double-booked and involved with a large archaeological dig on Lindesfarne!

We'd never met before so instead of the "I'll be wearing a white carnation" it was a case of car descriptions, our female compatriot was in a black vehicle and I said that we were in a blue and silver number.

We met up at a local pub and had a couple of drinks and a chat about all things metal-detecting and archaeologically inspired.

For various reasons she was camera shy so unfortunately there's only a couple of Rob and I.....
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It's always lovely to meet up with fellow detectorists and hopefully we will achieve a few more meet-ups during the new season.

Whilst I was slumming it in Lake Garda in the foothills of the Italian Alps, one of the team ventured out to a local site that has been excavated several times over the years. Even Time Team had a go a while back!

Rob was warmly greeted by the lead archaeologists who were in charge of proceedings and they kindly asked where his "team" mate was!
He assured them that I was okay and looking at "real" Roman items in Italy.

Now that I'm back in the UK I will make an effort to visit the site before we get bogged down in our own interests involving Robin, Rob and myself.

Anyway, back to Rob's visit; the archaeologists decided to dig out a large section of clay to see what was underneath it using the mattock method.
The spoil heap was subsequently scanned by Rob and an extremely unexpected item turned up....... a silver Roman knee brooch!

The whole of the archaeological community there were bewildered at the find and instantly recognised the importance of metal-detectorists joining a full scale archaeological dig.
Rob did go on to find a minim too in the spoil heap!

What an accolade for us guys (ie; fellow detectorists) .... and one in the eye for our antagonists, especially those abroad that are nothing to do with archaeology in the slightest and more interested in picking up fares.

Here's a couple of images taken by the archaeologists.....
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Again, this shows the importance and advantages of metal-detectorists interacting with archaeologists, and another step forward in the ever increasing union between two such powerful and important groups of people.

Lets hope that this model can be replicated in Europe, if not the World!